Pakistan cricket authorities Wednesday said they would respect a court decision suspending a ban on players who featured in the unofficial Indian Cricket League, paving the way for their return to domestic matches.

The move came a week after the Sindh high court suspended the ban saying it was unjust.

Nineteen Pakistani players featured in the ICL, bankrolled by India's largest media group, Zee Television, but not recognised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India or the International Cricket Council (ICC).

In 2007, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) barred the players, who included former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and star batsman Mohammad Yousuf, from playing at all levels in the country.

"All the eleven players who contested the ban are now allowed to play in the domestic matches. The procedure adopted to ban the players was wrong," PCB legal adviser Shan Gul told reporters outside the court after a further hearing was adjourned.

"We bow before the court's decision and there is no bar on these eleven players from playing in domestic matches. If other ICL players contest the case they will also be allowed to play."

Mohammad Yousuf is among the 11 players who can now return to domestic cricket after lining up for the Lahore Badshahs in the ICL. The side was a major attraction, winning the Twenty20 league last year.

Gul said the PCB will fight the court's ruling in Yousuf's case because "he took ten million rupees (125,000 dollars) from the Board for not playing in the ICL, and shamelessly went there to play.

"However, Yousuf is still allowed to play first class cricket," said Gul.

Gul moved to dispel the impression that it was the PCB that imposed the ban on ICL players.

"ICC is the governing body and their rulings are binding on all member boards. ICC Executive Board gave the rulings on the ICL-related matters and according to that, the boards banned the players," said Gul.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told a press conference in Lahore that ICL players would not play international cricket.

"As per the court ruling we have allowed the players to feature in domestic cricket, but as far as international cricket is allowed, it's up to the ICC to take a decision," said Butt.

A ICC spokesman told AFP that the ICC had nothing to do with domestic bans on ICL players.

"Banning a player from playing in domestic cricket because he participated in the ICL is not a matter for the ICC. Instead, only a member board can take such action," said the spokesman.

"The ICC executive board, therefore, resolved in 2008 that member boards should take such action against ICL players as they considered appropriate, in light of and in accordance with the requirements of their own local laws."

In a meeting earlier this month, the ICC put off a decision on the ICL's request for recognition.